With the assistance of author Suzanne Collins, the producers, screenwriters and many, many others in the creative team kept the gripping story of Catching Fire as true to the book as any fan could hope for.
Despite the minor alterations fans quickly noticed in the first installment of the franchise, this second edition to the series pulled even harder on the heart strings that Suzanne's writing took hold of. With pumped-up CGI effects and the complexity of the all-new gaming arena, amercing audiences in the reality of Katniss' situation, we feel the pain of a repeat-reaping and the determination any person would go to to save the people they love.
In a sense, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire teaches us and the younger generations life lessons about love and hope -- if you ignore the means to achieving these goals in the form of a bow and arrow.
One of the most overwhelming features of the sequel shows itself in Elizabeth Banks' character development of Effie Trinket; wild-haired wonder who, in the first film, embodies everything we were made to hate about the Capitol.
Banks' portrayal of her connection with 'her' victors, Katniss and Peeta, shows the real brutalty of these games and the message that this year's tributes stand for. Effie's character has witnessed countless reapings and deaths of Panem civilians, but only now, when Peeta and Katniss must repeat the ordeal they were subject to only one year prior, do we see the mask she hides behind as a member of the Capitol elite.
The elaborate nature of the Quater Quell's arena made for all-the-more intriguing viewing -- each "timed" scenario and death scene was handled with a touch more elegance than the brutality of the young killers in The Hunger Games. Knowing that these victors sacrificed their own well being for our much loved protagonists warned hearts across throughout the cinema.
As a dramatic finale unveils the fate of District 12, we are left hanging from our seats, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the penultimate movie -- Mockinjay (Part 1.) With cutting edge technology and tear-jerking moments around every corner, Catching Fire is an unmissable sequel, arguably raising the bar on it's predesecor.
